Typically, ironing board covers consist of a padding underlayer and a fabric top layer. The fabric top layer comprises the ironing surface. The padding layer can be coextensive with the padding fabric layer. Alternatively, the padding layer may be sized the same as the ironing board to be covered and the fabric layer is larger than the padding so that a marginal integral skirt is defined between the edges of the padding and the edge of the fabric layer. This construction is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,911,603. The fabric and padding layers may be joined by an adhesive.
The padding, which is typically a layer of foam polymeric material of approximately 1/4 inch thickness, (approximately 6.4 mm) does not substantially contribute to the tensile strength of the cover. The fabric layer, typically made of cotton or a heat resistant fabric, provides the ironing board cover with structural integrity. However, the fabric cover may become weakened due to wear from repeated use, resulting in a loss of burst strength. The adhesive which is applied to bind the fabric layer to the padding layer does not contribute to tensile strength. What is needed is an ironing board cover which combines resistance to wrinkling with enhanced structural integrity and burst strength.